Receiving the scholarship from Benjamin Civiletti, which I am so thankful for, strengthens my understanding of the importance of giving to benefit others. I am so grateful for the opportunity to study law and begin a meaningful career. I believe in the power of education and plan on giving back to future students.

Lucia Cook, Francis King Carey School of Law, The Civiletti Scholarship

Who We Are

Ashley Valis, MSW

Ms. Valis previously served in a variety of positions in the office of Governor Martin O’Malley from 2007 to 2014, most recently serving as Assistant Chief of Staff. In this role, she oversaw the Departments of Environment, Natural Resources, Planning, and Agriculture, helping to manage major policy initiatives within the agencies, and ensuring the Governor’s priorities within each agency are achieved. Prior to this role, Ms. Valis served as Deputy Director of the Governor's Intergovernmental Affairs Office, serving as Governor O’Malley’s direct liaison with local elected officials from the state’s 157 incorporated cities and towns, the 23 counties, and the advocacy organizations that work with these jurisdictions in Maryland. In addition, Ms. Valis served as Director of Strategic Partnerships for Governor O’Malley, coordinating community and volunteer activities statewide and advising the Governor on policies to enhance and improve community and philanthropic partnerships.

Ashley Valis is a graduate of University of Delaware where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Community Services. Additionally, Ms. Valis holds a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

In 2014, Ms. Valis was named to “the VIP list, Successful by 40”, by the Daily Record, as well as one of Baltimore’s top “40 under 40” by Baltimore Magazine in 2013. In 2011, Ms. Valis was awarded the Living Classrooms Foundation’s “Rising Star Award”, given to a select group of young professionals (under age 40), who are recognized for their outstanding philanthropic achievements in their professional and personal lives. She was a member of Governor O’Malley’s Transition Team in 2006, as well as a senior staff member of his re-election campaign in 2010. Ms. Valis is currently the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for Emerge Maryland, and a former Executive Board member of the Ridgely’s Delight Community Association in Baltimore City.

Brian Sturdivant, MSW

‌‌Born and raised in Baltimore City, Brian serves as Director for Strategic Initiatives and Community Partnerships. Mr. Sturdivant graduated from Towson University in 1990 and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a concentration in Management and Community Organization, and specialization in Community Development. Mr. Sturdivant has more than 15 years in University/Community Partnership experience and is responsible for coordinating civic engagement of UMB’s campus community through volunteer and service learning initiatives to meet needs of local communities.

Lisa Rawlings, MBA

Lisa Rawlings, is a Baltimore native who has worked in higher education for over a dozen years.

Ms. Rawlings’ work in community engagement started with her experience in launching a number of community college-university collaborations. She directed the University of Maryland BioPark’s BioWorkforce Initiatives (BWI), a series of collaborations between University of Maryland and the Baltimore City Community College to address the shortage of life science professionals. BWI was funded with a generous $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and supported students at BCCC’s Life Science Institute located at the UM BioPark pay for college, get jobs and transfer to bachelor’s degree programs.

Most recently, she served as the Associate Director of the Center for Community-Based Engagement and Learning (CBEL). In this role, she supported University of Maryland faculty, staff and students who were engaged in our local community.

In 2006, Ms. Rawlings launched the Hillman Entrepreneurs Program, an innovative partnership between the University of Maryland College Park and Prince George’s Community College. This award-winning program, which has since expanded to include Montgomery College, provides scholarships and mentoring for entrepreneurially minded community college students of any major transferring to University of Maryland. Ms. Rawlings continues to serve on the Hillman Entrepreneurs Advisory Committee.

Prior to this position, Ms. Rawlings worked at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs where she did financial/policy analysis and research. At the Robert H. Smith School where she pursued a PhD degree, Ms. Rawlings taught both introductory and advanced finance courses. She was nominated for the 2001 Parents' Association Teaching Award. Prior to her return to academia, Ms. Rawlings was a financial manager for Procter & Gamble for eight years.

Ms. Rawlings received a BSE in Systems Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan where she was a Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management fellow. In 2013, Ms. Rawlings was a Marano Fellow in the Aspen Institute Workforce Strategies Initiative Sector Skills Academy.

Camille Givens-Patterson

Camille Givens-Patterson recently came to the Office of Community Engagement with a history of human resources and workforce development experience. A native of Leavenworth, Kansas, Camille graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Towson University. She has a keen interest in youth development and has operated the campus Youthworks summer employment program since 2011. Camille works to deepen the campus’ k-12 partnerships in West Baltimore communities.

Bill Joyner, MSW

‌As UMB's Community Enagement Coordinator, Bill works with internal and external stakeholders to advance the university's community engagement strategy--especially relating to issues of community economic development. He manages the Community Merchant Access Program, the UMB/UMMC Local Purchasing Committee, and other engagement projects focused in West Baltimore.

Bill is a current student at University of Maryland Carey Law School and a 2014 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Social Work. He earned is MSW focusing on Management and Community Organization with a specialization in Community Action and Social Policy. He is an alumnus of the Baltimore City Mayoral Fellowship program where he developed strategies for creating a more robust and inclusive resource network for Baltimore’s small business community. He lives with his partner, Adam, and their dog, Dino, in the Union Square neighborhood.

Kelly Quinn, PhD

‌Kelly Quinn oversees the day-to-day operations of UMB’s Community Engagement Center in Poppleton. She is pleased to collaborate with men, women, and children of Southwest Baltimore to have fun as well as to address pernicious inequality and to improve the quality of life for all residents.

She has spent her professional career working on civic and scholarly engagement at cultural institutions and universities. Prior to joining UMB, she was the Terra Foundation Project Manager for Online Scholarly and Educational Initiatives at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. Quinn was also a college teacher: as assistant professor of American studies at Miami University and Sojourner Truth Visiting Faculty Lecturer at Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning and Department of Afroamerican Studies and African studies at University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she won two teaching awards and the Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Service. Quinn earned her PhD in American studies at University of Maryland, College Park as well as certificates in historic preservation and women’s studies; she is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Trinity College. Her scholarly research explores African American life and thought with an emphasis on art and architectural history. When not at the Center, she is a member of Fluid Movement, a performance art group that juxtaposes complex subject matter with delightful and unexpected mediums in public, urban spaces. In June 2017, No Boundaries Coalition recognized her volunteer service with a CommUNITY Service Award for her community organizing with Baltimore Youth Organizing Project.

Philip Lin

Philip serves as the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) for the Community Engagement Center. He is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, but moved to Baltimore to attend Johns Hopkins University. He recently graduated with a BA in Cognitive Science and a minor in Psychology. He is particularly interested in facilitating partnerships between universities and their surrounding communities.